There are so many suggestions on this site, autopia, etc that its hard to make a final decision, and not wanting to break the bank until I get a better handle on detailing my car, I bought some products last night to get me started:

some 80/20 microfiber towels
Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit
Meguiar's nXt Tech Wax 2.0
Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer


I have an '08 Carbon Silver that is only about a month or so old. Having never used a clay bar before, i read up on it and want to give it a shot.

Can anyone recommend anything to use between the clay (and wax cleaner) and the Tech Wax?

 

You need to clay it before you wax it.

Also, I find that the Clay Magic kit works a lot better than the Meguiar's clay kit.

 

Yeah, I know that, which is why I asked if anyone recommend I use anything (polish?) AFTER the clay, but BEFORE the wax.

 

You have to determine what condition the paint is in. You are the only one that can do it. Are there any paint defects such as swirls, hard water stains, anything that needs to be polished out? If not then go right to wax or sealant.

JET

 

You are on the right track with mentioning a polish. Polishes probably make the biggest difference in the depth and gloss of the paint. They actually correct the clear coat so waxes and sealants can enhance an already vibrant surface. I would suggest applying a light polish like the Menzerna Final Polish II. This is a very high quality light polish that will help remove very light surface imperfections such as fine swirls, oxidation, etc. Let me know if you would like more information about polishes or anything related to detailing.

Greg @ Detailed Image

 

+1. Polish before wax. As a matter of fact, I waxed my car for the first time this year (got the car in June last year). Before the wax I put many, many layers of polish and that was all I felt it needed. I put wax on to give it more depth and to help with water beading. You definitely should start with as clean a base as possible, hence the claybar. Then definitely polish. Wax when you want to.

 

layers of polish? Polish doesnt layer, it removes imperfections and you wipe it away. Some oils may be left but an iso wipe down takes care of those.

 

Iso? Meaning isopropyl alcohol?

If your paint has no swirls or very minimal swirling use 3M Imperial Hand Glaze. It has fillers that fill fine swirls and oils that feed the paint. Cover with a good wax or acrylic sealant.

JET

 

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

Use a slightly damp microfiber cloth to buff off the IHG from 3M, sometimes it can be more of a pain to remove than other glazes, but it is a good product.

 

Got a bottle of Prestone's Synthetic Car Polish: TOPS!!! One-step deal!
Great-priced, too ($4.99).

 

DO NOT layer polish or wax.. repeat.. DO NOT LAYER!

Everyone thinks you need to layer polishes and waxes. First off, layering polish is completely pointless, because polish doesn't have the ability to layer.

Secondly, layering wax does not deepen the depth. I mentioned this in another thread on here, but if you take one piece of saran wrap and lay it on your car, it looks pretty good.. right? Now take 5 layers of saran wrap and lay it on your car. It looks like crap. Sure, those 5 layers are protecting that part of the car, but the more layers you add.. the less the depth is.

For whatever reason, for years.. consumers layer wax and polish. Professionals however, (I used to own my own shop) never layer polish and/or wax. The only reason you'd want to layer your wax with 2 coats is to just make sure you covered what you missed in your first coat. Anything over 2 coats is just a waste of time and energy.

As far as NXT wax in particular, it sucks. I tried it on many different cars.. and the end result is a "plasticy" finish. Just read the reviews on Autopia's review section. Most people hate it. I much prefer Turtle Wax ICE. You'd be shocked at the results, and its cheaper too.

 

Layering sealants like Zaino, Ultima Paint Guard Plus, Turtle Wax Ice or X-Cote does work.

JET

 

sure, it works.. your just adding layers of protection. But if your looking for depth, it doesn't work.

 

Not true.... the sealants polymerize and are as clear as glass just like it is in the bottle.

JET

 

with all due respect, your completely wrong.

Any product applied on top of the clear coat needs to be optically clear (transparent) otherwise both the paint color and its depth of shine will be muted. One of the problems with "layering" some polymers and sealants is that they tend to occlude (become less opaque) as the thickness increases.

Layering is a myth. Waxes don't layer well. Initially the solvents used to spread them can actually remove some or all of the previous layer. Sealants can be layered after curing properly, though the point of diminishing return is likely 1-2 coats at best. Usually it is just wasted product to add 20 levels of this or that over the first or second layer.

This isn't just my opinion, this is a proven fact that can easilly be researched online.

 

The above mentioned products except Zaino are optically clear. As clear as the water that comes out of your faucet.

JET

 

I am telling you, that is completely untrue.

Again, I know this for a 100% fact. As I previously said, you can easilly research this online and see that I am right.

If you want to continue believing what you post, than all the power to ya.. just stay away from my car

 

Stop telling me and prove it. Post up some evidence.

JET

 

once again, you can simply google it. It's all over the internet.

Why should I go out of my way and google something for you, when I already know its the truth? If you dont believe it, do some research.

Are you forgetting that I am a professional detailer with his own shop?